


An Evening at the ER

by TeenCaterpillar



Series: Harringrove Snippets [23]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Background Robin Buckley/Heather Halloway, Billy Hargrove Has a Crush on Steve Harrington, Billy Hargrove Is Bad at Feelings, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Happy Ending, M/M, Past Steve Harrington/Nancy Wheeler, Silly, Steve Harrington Has a Crush on Billy Hargrove, Steve Harrington Needs a Hug, mentions of alcohol and drug use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:21:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26758657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeenCaterpillar/pseuds/TeenCaterpillar
Summary: Unfortunately, the night didn’t goquiteaccording to plan.“I hope you know,” Steve hissed as Billy groaned, holding a dish towel to his nose, “That I fully,fullyblame you if I end up in jail for assault.” There was a hiss and Steve’s eyes darted to the side.  Billy looked miserable, with purple under his eyes, pale skin, and red and pink stains on the dish towel.  Steve felt himself deflate a little.  “If he even presses charges.”“I wouldn’t put it past him,” Billy said, voice nasal and stuffed up.  “Fuck,” he groaned.  “I’m sorry.  I get so fuckingstupidwhen I drink.”“Reckless is the better word,” Steve replied, staring at his knees.  “Reactive, even.”
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Series: Harringrove Snippets [23]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1506065
Comments: 5
Kudos: 174





	An Evening at the ER

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, the seasoning actually exists and the discord has a HC (at least us cursed ones do), that Billy fucking loves ketchup. Has a ketchup kink. So he's got all the variants of ketchup you could want.
> 
> ANyway.
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy this and enjoy the little crossover I put in, even though it's pretty small lol.
> 
> Unbeta'd

When Steve came back to his apartment, he expected Billy to have people over. Figured it’d be his two lesbian friends who always gave him these weird looks, kinda mean, kinda pitying, which he _really_ didn’t get. Figured he could ask them to leave so he could mope alone about his break up, which he had seen coming, but it still _hurt_. Or maybe even see if they all wanted to get shitfaced. Robin always had good weed.

Billy _did_ have people over. It’s just, he had _an entire party_ going. Their living room was crowded and loud, and Steve pushed through sweaty bodies, grimacing and looking for Billy’s mop of curls. He found him talking to Heather outside the bathroom, both of them giggling and leaning against each other. He heard Heather snort the way she did only when she was fucking shitfaced. Billy’s eyes widened when he saw him.

“Harrington!” He cheered. “I figured you’d be out all night!” It lacked his usual bite, which meant he was in the happy stages of drunk. Maybe also a little bit stoned. For some reason, Steve felt comfort in that; it meant the night had only just begun. “Where’s _the princess?_ ” He smirked, proud of his own joke, and Steve looked away, fighting away the angry tears building up in his eyes.

“Her roommate had an emergency so I came home.” Billy scoffed and rolled his eyes.

“Of fucking _course_ ,” he sassed, smirking at Steve. “Well, at least it means you can get _fucked up_ with us.” Steve smiled, deciding that this was a sign. That he should let loose with his roommate and forget for one evening that his life was fucking _sad_.

“Yeah,” he replied, heart stuttering at the way Billy’s face lit up.

Unfortunately, the night didn’t go _quite_ according to plan.

“I hope you know,” Steve hissed as Billy groaned, holding a dish towel to his nose, “That I fully, _fully_ blame you if I end up in jail for assault.” There was a hiss and Steve’s eyes darted to the side. Billy looked miserable, with purple under his eyes, pale skin, and red and pink stains on the dish towel. Steve felt himself deflate a little. “If he even presses charges.”

“I wouldn’t put it past him,” Billy said, voice nasal and stuffed up. “Fuck,” he groaned. “I’m sorry. I get so fucking _stupid_ when I drink.”

“Reckless is the better word,” Steve replied, staring at his knees. “Reactive, even.” The stress of the night, the exhaustion of not sleeping, all hit Steve at once and he couldn’t stop giggling. They’d been waiting for almost an hour now, and it was all just so _ridiculous_. Billy eyed him, weary and confused, but he shook his head and snorted. It made him cry out. Steve winced in sympathy as Billy’s face contorted in pain.

“God, _fuck_!” He hissed. Steve gave him a pat on the back, rubbing his shoulder in small circles.

“I’m gonna see if there’s anything they can do for the pain at least,” Steve said. Billy nodded and groaned as Steve walked off, brow pinched. They’d been waiting for _ever_ , and like, he knew Billy wasn’t in life threatening danger, but he was in _pain_. And they hadn’t heard a _word_ in a long ass time. The nurse didn’t look up as he approached. “Excuse me,” he said, hoping he sounded more patient than he felt. She looked up, cocking an eyebrow. “Is there anything we can do for the pain?” She paused, blinking, before softening ever so slightly. She looked behind him, at Billy, at him wincing into a stained rag, before looking back to Steve.

“You’re in for the--”

“Snorted Ketchup seasoning,” Steve mumbled, face turning red. Her perfectly sculpted brow raised and Steve could feel the blush spreading down his neck. “He doesn’t know when to back down when he’s drunk.” It was a shitty explanation, but she seemed to find something amusing or soft about the whole thing.

“Right,” she said. “It’s still bleeding?” Steve nodded. “I’ll get you a cold compress for the bridge of his nose. You might have to help him hold it there, but I’m _sure_ that won’t be too much trouble.” She winked, giving him a sly smile, and he really wished he understood what that meant. He tapped his fingers on the counter, turning to look at Billy again. His hair was up in a messy bun, no doubt knotted up, he had blood on his crop top, and he was shifting around in his seat. Probably because he’d spent at least five hours in his tightest pair of jeans. There was a cough and Steve turned, looking back at the nurse. She was smiling wide now and handed him a cold pack and sleeve. “It shouldn’t be too much longer, okay? We had an emergency and it caused a bit of a delay.”

“Oh,” Steve said, giving her a small smile. “Thanks, good to know.”

“Your boy will be all fixed up soon,” she said, winking like they had a cute little secret and Steve suddenly realized she thought Billy was his _boyfriend_. The thought made a swirl of emotions go through him, and he wasn’t sure if he was embarrassed or thrilled at the idea.

“No, he’s-- He’s not--” Steve stammered, but she waved him away.

“No worries, baby, you’re safe here, alright?” She gave him a warm look and Steve just swallowed his words and gave her a strained smile.

“Thanks,” he got out through grit teeth. He spun on his heel and booked it back to Billy, face red.

It wasn’t like he didn’t think Billy was hot, like, he had fucking _eyes_ , but he’d been with Nancy the whole time he’d known him. So he’d kinda pushed that thought down and away where he could ignore and maybe deny it. Because he really liked Billy. Like, a lot. He was brash, frank, and a bit of an asshole, but he was fiercely loyal and protective. His relationship with Max was the best example of that.

But beyond that, he _got_ Steve. He understood that Steve needed some extra help with studying, understood that Steve needed someone to just _be there_ sometimes, understood that Steve needed more than just a critique. Billy knew when Steve was cranky before Steve did, he knew exactly how to cheer him up, knew exactly how to push his buttons. They’d had a rocky start, but they were closer than ever now. Even with Steve’s weird crush.

And _now_ there was the fact he was the main reason he and Nancy broke up.

“Here,” Steve said, plopping back down next to Billy. “Cold pack for your nose. Put it on the bridge here.” He placed the pack gently against the bridge of Billy’s nose, who let out another pained hiss. He sucked his breath in through his teeth, but seemed to relax a little.

“Oh yeah,” Billy said. “This is gonna help. Here.” He moved to hold the cold pack with one of his hands but Steve batted it away, fighting the light blush on his cheeks.

“Lemme do it,” he mumbled. “Your arms are gonna get tired eventually anyway.” Billy blinked, looking slightly shocked, but he let Steve do this for him, eyes occasionally darting over when he thought Steve wasn’t looking.

He was _always_ looking.

“Why did you even agree to snort that shit anyway?” Steve said, shaking his head with a disbelieving huff.

“I’m not--”

“--A pussy, yeah, right,” Steve said with an eyeroll. “I’m talking about the fact that you looked like you had something to _prove_. You never prove yourself to people like him because, and I _quote_ , ‘they aren’t fucking worth it, little garbage dickheads.’” Billy flushed and looked away, not answering. Steve waited, staring at Billy in hopes he would relent.

“It doesn’t matter,” he replied, voice quiet and sad. “Hey, I never asked, what did Barb need that was so important she interrupted y’all’s date night?” Steve blinked, confused, before he remembered he’d used her as an excuse for why he was home. He looked away, sighing.

“She didn’t have an emergency,” he murmured. “Nancy and I broke up.” Billy’s hand found his knee, squeezing in comfort.

“Oh, Harrington, she’s said that before--”

“No, no,” he choked out. “This one is gonna stick. It was me. I broke it off.” Billy blinked, shocked. Which was kinda embarrassing, that no one could see _him_ breaking up with Nancy, but it checked out from past experience, so.

“What?” Billy stared, blue eyes wide.

“She just said some shit,” he said, angrily rubbing at his eyes. “It doesn’t really matter, I’ve been seeing it coming. Been kinda waiting for it, honestly. I just thought she’d get tired of me first. But then she--” He turned red, anger curling in his stomach as he remembered what she said, what she _implied_ \--

“Steve, I think it matters,” Billy said. But Steve couldn’t look at him or he’d _tell him_ and Billy didn’t need to know _that_. But the way Billy said his _name_...

“She-- She--” He stammered, trying to get the words out, but the anger that had dissipated earlier, leaving room for the loneliness and sadness to take hold, came raging back, full force. He ran his free hand over his face before looking at Billy. He had a soft, gentle look on his face and Steve didn’t know what Nancy was fucking thinking. He bit his lip, tongue slowly poking out as he thought of how to say it. “I always figured that she’d be the one to do it, you know? To say ‘We’re done.’ And I knew it was coming soon and I just held on because I thought I loved her--”

“Thought?” Billy cut in. Steve decided to ignore the bigger question behind it.

“She _implied_ ,” he spit out, unable to contain the fury that rolled around inside him, “That you were a manipulative roommate who takes advantage of me.” Steve was expecting the shutdown, the way Billy’s eyes flickered and went blank, the way he shuttered closed. “I told her to go fuck herself.” That pulled Billy out, just the slightest.

“What?”

“I couldn’t believe she would fucking--” he let out a muffled noise, angry again. “I told her that she was completely fucking _wrong_ , that she didn’t fucking _know you_ , because she never even _tried_!” He ran a hand through his already messed up hair. “She, of course, doubled down like she _always does_ and I just-- I told her to get fucked. That you paid more attention to me and what I needed and wanted than she ever did.” Steve bit his lip again, nerves mixing with the residual anger. “That you _never_ tried to change me into something I’m not, never made me do anything I didn’t really wanna do and--” He stopped himself, chin wobbling as he tried to control his emotions. Tears threatened to spill down his cheeks and he angrily rubbed them away.

“I,” Billy said, voice hoarse. He stopped there, at a loss for words. “Whoa.” When Steve looked at him, Billy looked a little wrecked. And it wasn’t just the bleeding nose. It was the way he stared at Steve like he’d shaken him to his core. The way he looked so overwhelmed with good and bad emotions he wasn’t sure which one to pick. Steve could see the moment Billy decided on something, posturing unconsciously as he licked his lips. “I need you to just listen for a moment, okay?” Steve opened his mouth and Billy held up a hand. “No, really don’t-- Don’t say anything. I dunno that I’ll get it out otherwise, and maybe now isn’t the best time but I-- Shit!” Billy clenched his eyes shut, unaware of how fast Steve’s heart was starting to beat. Billy bit his lip and stared straight ahead. FInally, he cleared his throat. “You wanted to know why I made such a dumb decision tonight?” Steve nodded. “It’s because that guy was flirting with you.

“You never notice, and I don’t know _how_ you didn’t notice Adam was fucking pushing into your space, but I kept-- I kept trying to convey you were taken.” His face turned red and Steve remembered. Remembered that any time Adam felt too close, Billy came up, blue eyes fiery, whisking Steve away. He’d loved it. Gotten a thrill down his spine each time it happened. “He got that but,” Billy’s voice rose in pitch, “He maybe thought it was me? That you were dating?” Steve didn’t think his heart could beat this fast without just stopping. Billy _still_ wouldn’t look at him. “And then he just kept challenging me to shit, kept trying to impress you with stuff and I just couldn’t watch the guy I’ve been fucking crushing on for _months_ get swayed away from me by some _slimeball_.” Steve wasn’t breathing anymore. At least that’s what it felt like. Billy was bright red, eyes finally shifting to Steve quickly, before darting away again almost immediately.

“I--”

“And you’re allowed to be friends with whoever you want but he just-- I know him and he’s a douchebag. He’s a shithead and for fucking _once_ you really wanted to party with us and I just-- I had to prove I was better than him.” Billy screwed his eyes shut and Steve thought maybe all of the blood was in his head because Billy’s face was bright red.

“You--”

“I really fucking like you,” Billy hissed out. “And I know you just broke up with Nancy, but no one-- People don’t stand up for me like that a lot. And you had every reason not to, but you _did_ and you _broke up_ with Nancy over it and I-- You have to know because it’s hard enough living with you when all I wanna do is suck your dick, but it’s gonna be even harder when all I wanna do is just fucking _hold your hand_.” Billy looked miserable, like he was ready for his world to be crumbling around him, and Steve knew he needed to say something. Knew he needed to tell Billy what was going through his head.

“Billy Hargrove?” Both of them were brought out of the moment by a nurse calling Billy’s name. The short man smiled at them, waving them into the back. “You can come back now.” Billy stood, moving quickly, and Steve followed. He wasn’t gonna let Billy run away. The nurse gave him a once over. “And you are--”

“The boyfriend,” Steve replied, not missing a beat. The man smiled a little while Billy stared, confused and maybe a little hurt. Steve figured he could focus on that when they were alone again, so he pressed his hand to the small of Billy’s back, getting him moving. They followed the nurse into a room and he motioned for Billy to hop up onto the table. Steve fidgeted a little before sitting on the bench by the desk.

“Alright. Nice to meet you Billy, I’m Eddie and I’ll be your nurse today. I have your paperwork here and it says you,” he raised a brow, looking at Billy with somehow friendly judgement, “Snorted ketchup seasoning?” Billy blushed.

“Drunken choice,” he replied. The man nodded, setting the clipboard on the desk.

“Sounds about right,” he replied. “I’m going to take your vitals, okay? Then we’ll get the doctor in and he’ll take a look at your nose.” Billy nodded. Eddie took Billy’s temperature and checked his blood pressure. Steve fidgeted with his hands, wishing that Billy would _look_ at him, that the nurse would _leave_ so they could talk. The room was tense and Eddie definitely noticed. “So, ketchup seasoning?” Billy flushed.

“Yeah. I, uh, was trying to impress someone,” he mumbled.

“By snorting ketchup?” Eddie dead panned. Steve snickered, but bit his lip when Billy sent an unreadable look his way. “How much did you snort?”

“Like, I dunno, half a teaspoon? I did it like a line.” Eddie nodded, taking notes.

“Did the bleeding start right away?” He asked.

“No--”

“Yes it did,” Steve cut in. Billy looked at him, a crease forming between his brows, but Steve refused to be cowed. “You only noticed when you sneezed, but it started dripping before that. I guess, maybe not _right away_ \--”

“Fine,” Billy bit out. “It started right away.” Eddie glanced between them, brow furrowing slightly.

“Can you give me a pain rating, one through ten, please?”

“A two, maybe,” Billy shrugged. Steve rolled his eyes.

“It’s at least a four,” he said.

“I think I know what I’m feeling, _Harrington_ ,” Billy snapped. Steve pursed his lips, eyes narrowing.

“Yeah, but you also think you can’t say ten unless you’ve been shot, so I think you might have a skewed sense of pain,” Steve snapped back. Eddie coughed, catching their attention.

“As thrilling as your bickering is, I need an answer.” He looked at Billy. “It helps to think about how it hinders you. One is it doesn’t bother your daily actions at all. Two, it’s ignorable. Three, it affects your activities but not too much, and so on, until ten, where it leaves you crippled and unable to think about anything except the pain.” Billy looked down at his feet.

“A three or four then, I guess,” he mumbled. Eddie nodded and wrote down the number.

“Alright. It doesn’t look like you have any allergies we need to be worried about in regards to ketchup seasoning, so you should be okay while I go get the doctor.” He made his way to the door, pausing before opening it. He turned, giving them a teasing smile. “Maybe take the time to settle the tension? I’m assuming someone wasn’t as impressed by your stunt as you would have liked.” When both boys went red, he smirked wider, exiting the room.

“You don’t know my life,” Billy muttered after the man had left. Steve snorted, getting a quirk of the lips, before Billy looked away. _Again_.

“Billy--”

“I don’t want my gross feelings to come between us, or whatever,” Billy cut in, speaking in a rush. “So just forget I said anything. Just-- Just forget it. I’ll get over it.” He picked at the paper on the exam table and Steve stood, walking over and reaching out to stop the picking. Billy looked up, vulnerable and tense.

“I hope you don’t,” Steve said, voice soft. Billy stared at him, mouth slightly agape. Like he wasn’t sure if he should be hurt or happy. “You know, I’ve been convinced my whole life I wanted a life with someone like Nancy. Someone proper, smart, with some fire in them. Thought I wanted the whole white picket fence.” He bit his lip, covering Billy’s hand with his own and making tiny circles with his thumb. Billy’s breath caught audibly. “And then I met you. And I realized that maybe I wasn’t sure what I wanted. Wasn’t sure if I wanted that _at all_.” He looked into Billy’s eyes, making sure he knew that Steve was being sincere. “I left Nancy’s tonight and the only thing I was sure of, was that I needed to see you. You’re the first person I think of when something good happens, you’re the person I go to when I need cheering up, you--” Steve let out a nervous laugh, shaking his head incredulously and looking away again. “Even when you were saran wrapping the toilet and putting cheesewhiz in my shoes. Even _then_ I wanted to kiss you. I think I’ve wanted to for a really long time but--”

“Your dad,” Billy choked out. Steve nodded.

“But tonight I-- Tonight I realized that I’d give everything up for you. Everything I thought I wanted I would drop in a fucking _heartbeat_ for you, because never _once_ have you tried to pretend I was someone different. You saw who I was _before_ I did, I think.” When Steve looked back up, Billy was staring at him, hope and fear warring on his face.

“You-- I mean-- Yeah?” It wasn’t often Billy was speechless, and Steve took a moment to revel in it.

“I’m not trying to like, play a prank or anything. I just--” Steve swallowed thickly. “Your feelings won’t get in the way. Not at all.” They stared at each other and Billy licked his lips. Steve’s eyes darted down, watching the movement, before he leaned in.

“I see you two made up,” Eddie said, startling the boys apart. The doctor was behind him, looking confused but still smiling. Steve could feel himself turning red, could feel his ears getting hot. Billy looked much the same, his blush creeping down his neck. Eddie came in and gestured for Steve to sit. “Alright, let’s get your boy looked at and cleaned up so you two can get home.”

\--

Billy unlocked the door, going in first. They hadn’t talked much since they left the emergency room, exhaustion settling in their bones. They didn’t say anything about their confessions, didn’t do much of anything except take quick glances when they thought the other wasn’t looking. The apartment was empty, though messy, but it looked like Robin and Heather had at least _tried_ to clean up a little bit.

“I’m going to bed,” Billy said, voice rough. Steve nodded, wanting to reach out, to kiss, but he suddenly wasn’t sure. Before he could wallow in his nerves, he heard Billy clear his throat. He looked up, meeting Billy’s eyes. “Want to, uh, join me?” Steve nodded vigorously, making Billy give him a shy smile.

“Lemme just grab some different-- I mean--”

“I’m gonna go right to sleep, so you don’t need to worry or anything--” Steve laughed, cutting Billy off.

“No I just--” Steve blushed, not fully sure he wanted to admit it. “I’m not wearing sexy underwear and I kinda wanted to change them?” Billy stared at him, eyebrows raised, before breaking down into snickers.

“Of fucking course. You don’t have to get all fancy, just for lil’ ol’ me, but if it’ll make you feel better. I gotta brush my teeth anyway.” Steve smiled and headed for his room, feeling giddy and excited, even as sleep hounded him. He hummed as he opened his door and began digging in his underwear drawer, heart thumping with nerves and excitement.

“Fucking-- What? Steve?” The voice made him jump and Steve whipped around, staring at his bed. Heather was splayed out, snoring loudly enough he wasn’t totally sure _how_ he missed it, and Robin was sitting up, rubbing at her eyes. “Sorry to take your bed, we just wanted to wait and see if you guys were okay.”

“Billy’s an idiot, but what’s new,” Steve replied, getting a snort. “Yeah we’re--” He couldn’t help the smile on his face. “We’re good. We’re okay. He’s gonna have some pain with sneezes and stuff for a bit, but nothing dramatic.” Robin had her eyes narrowed when he looked at her. “What?”

“Something big happened and you are _telling us_ in the morning when I can focus, got it?” Steve huffed but nodded.

“Yeah. It’s best if Billy’s there too, anyway.” Judging by the way Robin’s eyes widened a little, Steve figured she knew Billy liked him. Knew the story, the _entirety_ of it, and suddenly her frustration and shortness with him made more sense. “I’ll leave you two love birds.” Robin flipped him off before wrapping herself around Heather once more. Billy was in his room when Steve finally came in, teeth brushed, good underwear on. Not that the other’s had been _bad_ really, he just knew these blue ones hugged his ass really well, okay?

Billy was on his side, eyes closed, and Steve crawled in behind him, tucking his knees behind Billy’s and nuzzling his nose against his neck as he threw an arm around Billy’s middle and pulled him close. He’d wanted to do it for a long time, if he was being honest, and it was better than he’d dreamed. Billy’s skin was warm and soft, his cologne giving him a wonderful woodsy, smokey smell. Steve nuzzled Billy’s neck again, getting a shiver.

“Your nose is cold,” BIlly mumbled, already falling asleep.

“Go to sleep,” Steve replied, pulling back only enough to press a chaste kiss to the base of Billy’s neck. It made him shake with nerves, because he was trying to say so much that he wasn’t sure he could get out yet. Billy gave a full body shiver and Steve pulled him even closer before closing his eyes and letting himself drift off in the warmth of the blankets and Billy.

Morning was bright and Steve woke up with Billy facing him. His eyes were open and he flushed when he realized he’d been caught staring. He moved to pull away but Steve didn’t let him. His arm was still around Billy’s waist, so he locked it, pulling Billy close enough he could smell his morning breath. It was atrocious, but Steve had never been fucking happier. He was warm, comfortable, and had the most beautiful guy in the world in his arms.

“Morning,” he said, unable to stop smiling. His face hurt and he wondered if he was even smiling in his sleep.

“Morning,” Billy replied. “I’m glad you’re still here.” Steve furrowed his brow.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Billy shrugged, blue eyes slowly taking Steve in with all his bedhead glory.

“Just thought I maybe dreamed up some of last night.” Billy’s hair was falling out of it’s bun, some long strands at the back, and Steve shuffled so he could twirl one around his finger. Billy complied, scooting down enough that his face was pressed into Steve’s chest. “But you’re really here.” His lips and mustache grazed against Steve’s skin as he spoke, and Steve felt himself start to get a little hard.

“Yeah, I’m here,” Steve said, voice raspy. Billy wrapped an arm around Steve, shuffling back up the bed so he could look him in the eye. He searched for something before speaking, though Steve had no idea what it was.

“We don’t-- You don’t need to feel obligated or anything, okay? If this is just a passing feeling, that’s okay.”

“Billy,” Steve said, wrinkling his nose. “I’m not doing this for any reason other than I want to. ‘Cause I want you.”

“I KNEW IT!” Came a screech from behind the door. Steve and Billy both clutched each other, tensing up as the door swung open and Heather came in, arms thrust up in the air. “I fucking knew he liked you too! You both thought I was _crazy_ but I was goddamn _right_!” She danced around, giddy, as Robin came in behind her, a lazy smile on her face.

“Sorry to interrupt you two, the walls and doors are just really thin and well, we were both pretty curious as to where Steve was since he wasn’t on the couch.” Billy groaned, tucking his head into the crook of Steve’s neck.

“You two are the fucking _worst_ ,” he whined. Robin slapped his calf, getting a squawk.

“We cleaned your fucking apartment, dick head, we’re a fucking god send.”

“Says you,” Billy mumbled, finally pulling away from Steve and moving to sit up, getting another leg slap in response. Steve did the same, resting against the headboard.

“So what did it? Did Billy snorting ketchup seasoning actually get you to confess your feelings?” Heather plopped on the end of the bed, eyes alight with curiosity.

“Well, kinda?”

“Wait, you’re still with Nancy though,” Robin said, voice tight. “If you don’t break up with her--”

“We broke up last night. I broke up with her, actually. It’s why I wanted to party.” Heather cooed, giving his knee a squeeze, while Robin narrowed her eyes.

“Why?” Billy rolled his eyes.

“Robs, give it a rest--”

“She implied some shit about Billy and I realized I’d drop everything for him so… I did.” Billy stared at him, eyes wide, and Robin’s brows shot up. Heather squealed.

“That’s so romantic!” She pulled Steve into a hug. “But please do be careful. I know emotions and tensions were high last night.”

“I’m still processing,” Steve said, “But for once in my life I don’t feel like I need to ask what the right thing to do is, if I’m making the right choice.” He looked at Billy, grabbing his hand and linking their fingers. “I’m not gonna second guess this one, not at all.” Billy was blushing, obviously annoyed at being made all mushy in front of the lesbians.

“Shut up, we haven’t even kissed yet,” he said, unable to keep the smile off his face.

“You haven’t even _kissed_?! Well!” Heather climbed off the bed, hooking her arm through Robin’s. “Let’s leave them to it!”

“Heather--” Robin’s voice was muffled once the door closed, and blood was pumping through Steve’s ears. He turned to look at Billy, who had his bottom lip pulled into his mouth as he twiddled his thumbs.

“Fuckin’-- C’Mere,” Steve said, lips just quirked at the corners. He cupped the back of Billy’s neck, pulling him in for a kiss. Billy’s lips were soft, softer than Steve would have thought, and Steve melted. Brought his other hand up to cup Billy’s cheek as Billy gripped Steve’s biceps. They pulled back, resting their foreheads together.

“I’ve been wanting to do that a long time,” Billy whispered.

“I dunno if we did it right,” Steve mumbled, tilting his head for a better angle. “We should probably do it again.” Billy rolled his eyes, but met Steve’s lips for a kiss, even better than the last. Billy pulled back so he could speak, though his lips were still close enough to tickle against Steve’s.

“We should get breakfast,” he mumbled. “And tylenol, lots of tylenol.”

Steve laughed, bright and carefree, and oh so happy.


End file.
